Choices
by ncisficwriter
Summary: Ziva tells her father the truth about Ari and the team tries to deal with the fallout. Chapter 6 is up. I appreciate the great reviews...thank you!
1. Chapter 1

_**NCIS HEADQUARTERS**_

It is late and the floor empty as she sits at her desk unsure what will remain of her career and her life at the end of the night. It had been a long, difficult week for everyone at NCIS but for Ziva David life is about to get much harder. Trained as a spy since she was a young girl and living her life on the Mossad fast track, she has always known her path in life until tonight.

"You're late." Gibbs comes down the stairs wondering why his Mossad liaison is sitting in the dark. It's not the first time he's found her like this but tonight he knows she has somewhere else to be.

"Yes." Ziva has not spoken to her father for months, and, two days ago he arrived in the US for the first time since her assignment to NCIS. Obtaining a spot on his calendar had been a harder task than she anticipated but they are scheduled to meet tonight and if she doesn't leave soon she will miss her opportunity. Director David is not a man who waits, not even for the daughter he hadn't seen in two years.

Gibbs stops in front of the officer's desk, "Then why are you still sitting here?"

"Waiting to say goodbye." The innocence of her statement is contradicted by the seriousness in her dark eyes.

"Don't be stupid Ziva." Watching his agent stand up with her gear, Gibbs slowly shakes his head.

Ziva stands in front of Gibbs smiling. Before coming to NCIS, she woke up everyday believing that it would probably be her last on earth. Her profession and her family tree had convinced her long ago that a young death was her destiny. It took her time to understand and accept being part of a team where death was possible but not probable. Not for her, not for anyone. At NCIS, death was the enemy not the destiny. Standing by while assassins took aim at Gibbs had been too much for her conscience to bear and it was clear what needed to be done.

"We agreed that this is not an option." They had discussed this so many times that the others were becoming suspicious of their private conversations. In the past week, there had been two attempts on Gibbs' life and the pressure was weighing heavily on Ziva. Today, a bullet grazed McGee's head during a gunfight that ended with one Mossad agent dead.

With defiance burning bright in her eyes she listens to him, the guilt wearing on her soul. Before Ari, before NCIS she had not had any regrets. Ziva was raised in a country, a lifestyle that allowed no time for such things. Things are different now. Some nights her dreams were haunted by images of Ari, some nights Gibbs, and sometimes both. Always dead. By death or by duty she has left too many places, too many people to remember. She is a person used to not saying goodbye, does not care to say goodbye. She waited for him so she could say at least one but is just realizing how hard even one can be, "It's time Gibbs."

"This is a mistake." Gibbs searches his mind for a way to stop what is happening. In the short time he's known Ziva, this will be the second time she's choosing to sacrifice herself and her family to save his life. In spite of her smile, he can see the fear that she will never admit hidden in the eyes that avoid his own. He knows the attachment she has developed with her team at NCIS. She trusts them, relies on them as much as they depend on her.

Brushing her hair off of her forehead, Ziva takes a deep breath. She is scared but certain and she is fueled by Israeli blood full of so much loyalty and determination that even Jethro Gibbs cannot stop it, "It is the only way. More will come."

"And we'll stop them." His words match her determination but Gibbs knows that he is on the losing end of this battle. He knows that Ziva is right.

The Mossad liaison now stands eye to eye with Gibbs, "The cost is too great. How many people do we let die for our lie? You, McGee, Tony, Jenny? How many Israelis? They will not stop until you are dead. It is an order from the highest level. My father is ordering your assassination for revenge and revenge knows no limits."

"You don't know that." Gibbs' voice makes it clear that he too is not ready to back down. The Director of Mossad believed he was the reason for his son's death and the price would be high. His son was his glory, his key to unraveling Hamas. For Ziva's sake, he doesn't want to believe that it's true. He does not want to believe that the person he has grown to trust and care about has to live with the knowledge that her father is a cold blooded killer.

"He will kill you without question." Looking away, Ziva's heart aches admitting out loud that her father is responsible for the order to kill her friend, her mentor. It is a glaring reminder of her own betrayal, of what is yet to come, of her own destiny which she has foolishly tried to forget existed.

"Now what?"

Ziva flashes him a confident, playful smile, "I tell the truth."

"We can straighten this out." There are few times in his life that Gibbs can remember feeling so desperate to find a solution.

She smiles, touched to see the honor in the man she admires more than her own father, "It's too late. It's gone too far."

"I'm not letting you do this alone. You have no idea what your father will do. You could end up in that embassy without anyone watching your six." Gibbs does not want her to die and knows her actions will be viewed as treason.

Ziva is struck by how much she already misses the Americans, "Perhaps, but my odds are still better than yours. Once a spy always a spy. It's what I was born to do."

At one time he would've believed that statement but not now. They'd been through too much, and, he's seen her prove herself too many times when she did not need to; do things that were not required of a liaison officer. She is as much NCIS as she is Mossad. He slaps the back of her head, "That's crap and you know it."

Ziva laughs, "It's the only way Gibbs. We both know it. I appreciate everything."

"I still owe you."

With the softest sniffle, Ziva kisses him once on each cheek, "And now I wish to collect."

Gibbs raises an eyebrow at her as she walks away unsure of what she means.

The Israeli turns her back to him summoning her control to stop the tears threatening to betray her mask. As much as she missed Israel, she had fallen head over heels with America, with NCIS, with investigations. By letting her stay they had given her a second chance. A chance to be the officer she'd wanted. To show the best of Israel. Being a spy was her duty, an investigator she enjoyed. She knows it will be difficult for her to transition to the rigid Mossad lifestyle. She was born into it but even she had to admit that she was not looking forward to returning to it. It could be lonely, isolating and the truth is that Ziva David likes people. They are interesting to her beyond their tactical significance. Life is different, she is different. She's choosing to leave because it will keep her friends safe, and, hopes they will understand because they know her even though they will not know her reason. It will be the ultimate test of their trust in her. It was nice to have people know her. Nobody knows a spy.

Ziva turns, her words shaky as they exit her mouth, "Don't let them believe it was all a lie."

Gibbs nods knowing it may be the last time he sees her and understanding the speculation that will follow if she does not return to work. At that moment, he is reminded just how special she is, and, the strength of her commitment to NCIS. Jenny was right that Ziva is one of the best agents he would work with. He often wondered how the young Mossad officer maintained her spirit and the truth in a world full of lies. She was nothing like Ari or their father. Gibbs forces a smile as he watches her walk away, "Don't be late tomorrow, Officer David."

Stepping into the elevator, Ziva returns his smile as the doors close. In many ways it was a simple choice. Her team at NCIS had been more of a family than her own, Gibbs more of a father than her own. They had embraced her, trusted her when they had every reason not to. Even more surprising to Ziva, they had been honest with her. She tried her best to return that yet something stood between them. She never spoke of her father but he was always there lurking in the back of her mind. As far back as she can remember, she worked to do whatever it took to make him proud hoping to earn his praise and attention. Tonight, she is preparing herself to withstand the attention she is about to receive from him, knowing he will have no praise for her actions.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Israeli Embassy**_

As she paces in the dimly lit room Ziva is unusually nervous. Long ago she learned how to mask her anxiety but alone in this room, she can feel the sweat building on her lip and her heart racing. Revealing anxiety gives your opponent an edge and she is already at too great a disadvantage.

"You are late little one." The familiar voice behind her is stern yet chastising.

"I'm sorry Papa." He did it again. For some reason, Ziva has never been able to know when her father was behind her. A master of the art of sneaking up on people, she always knew when others were approaching. Everyone except him. Focusing on his face, she is surprised at how much he's aged in the time since their last visit. Her mind flashes to a time when she thought him to be the most handsome and strongest man she knew, her protector. She has spent her life admiring him, never questioning his motives or loyalty, and, now faces being his greatest disappointment.

"Hmmm. Let me look at you." Director David knows he makes his daughter nervous with this ritual, knows that she hates it. What she does not know is how much pride it gives him to inspect his little soldier. That and the fact that he believes discipline is the key to staying alive and reinforces it at every opportunity. He is a father but their relationship is dictated more by their duty than blood. A man in his position cannot be a good leader and a good father. Years ago he made the decision to be the leader sacrificing his relationship as Ziva's father. It had been a conscious decision to prioritize his duty to the nation over his responsibility to his child. He knew it. They both knew it.

Ziva holds her breath as her father surveys her searching for an imperfection. She remembers when this ritual was accompanied by laughter and a hug or a kiss. After joining the military, it became an inspection resulting in multiple criticisms of her appearance or her actions. The difference was clear to her but she wondered if her father even noticed. As he circles her, a familiar nervousness overcomes her as she waits for his report.

Standing in front of Ziva, the Director grabs both of her arms and kisses her once on each cheek, "It's good to see that the Americans have not ruined you. Come, sit." He directs her to the chair as he sits on the desk.

As usual, Ziva feels a twinge of disappointment that her father does not include a hug in his greeting. It has been years since he's hugged her, and, she misses it but knows better than to ask. Seeking affection is a sign of weakness in the David household.

Their initial exchange of pleasantries is followed be silence. Deafening silence. She can speak to anyone except her father. At times, it seemed an impossible task. She was always closer to her mother, and, no matter how much she missed her father over the years she could not seem to communicate with him.

The Director is not blind to Ziva's discomfort. Although they have spent little time together, he has seen it many times before. Dinners, lunches, late night visits in hotel rooms and airplanes. Such small amounts of time would make her mother quite unhappy. "What is on your mind little one? Has my company become painful for you."

"No of course not. I…"

"I'm a busy man. Speak up Officer David." His voice is stern once again as he quickly loses patience with her. With a million things to do, many involving life and death he has no patience for those who hesitate. Director David is not a man who can afford to waste time even for his only living child.

"I want to talk about Ari." Every time she speaks his name, she feels a desire to cry. He was her only brother, her idol in many ways. The only person in life that she thought she could truly count on.

"Unless you are going to tell me that Jethro Gibbs is dead, I have nothing to say about this subject." The news of his son's death at the hands of the American had been difficult to accept. Americans are the allies of Israelis but some situations are not covered by alliances.

"Ari was loyal to Hammas not Israel. He admitted it. I heard him admit it." The words quickly leave her mouth as she reminds herself to breathe.

"That's enough." The Director is not pleased by this conversation. It is not what he expected from his daughter this evening and he hates surprises no matter who they are from.

"Ari was a killer." She forces herself to maintain eye contact to avoid irritating her father further by looking away. In his mind, he is always the Mossad Director first and she the Mossad officer first so she cannot let emotions drive her.

Director David laughs, "And you are not? We are all killers. Me, you, your uncles, cousins, your precious NCIS. It is how we have choose to protect our countries."

She disagrees but arguing is a waste. It's true that she has killed but she does not believe herself to be a killer. She is not a cold blooded killer like Ari, like her father. "His mother. He believed you killed her and made him a trained killer."

As if staring through her, the Director stands silent with disgust and anger on his face.

Experience has taught her that her father's silence is never a good thing but coming too far to retreat Ziva pushes forward, "You're not denying it."

"Ziva, It does not matter. You must grow up and realize what matters. This is none of your concern." In spite of his words, Director David can see that she has already grown up. She is different, stronger.

"He infiltrated NCIS and killed one of their agents. He would have killed all of them one by one for the sole purpose of satisfying his own revenge."

"Are you trying to protect Special Agent Gibbs. Trying to protect the man who slaughtered your brother? Is this why you're here."

Ziva tastes blood as she bites the inside of her lip and her nails pierce her wrist beneath her sleeve preparing herself to complete her task. "I am not trying to protect Gibbs, I am trying to tell the truth."

The Director shakes his head, "Sometimes I don't know where I went wrong with you Ziva. The truth, what truth? The truth is that Gibbs, this man you so admire, killed your older brother. By now you should have killed him yourself."

Her stomach nauseous she can feel her lip quiver slightly as the words come out softly, "I killed Ari."

"What?" There is shock in his eyes as he waits for her to speak again. His mind shouting that this cannot be possible. That the daughter who is the focus of so much of his pride would never have committed such betrayal.

Ziva lets out a breath, her voice stronger, "I killed Ari not Gibbs."

"He was your brother, your blood. Is this why you were so eager to create the liaison position with NCIS? Have you no shame, running to work with those your brother hated?"

"I could not watch him take an innocent man's life to avenge his mother." Having done the unforgivable, it is useless to explain herself further. While his voice had been an eerie calm, Director David's cold eyes stare back at his daughter. She's seen these eyes many times. They are the eyes that meet failure, death. These are the eyes looking at her now. Sitting under his intense gaze, she is reminded that she has seen these eyes more than those of a loving father.

"You could not watch him? It is not your place to decide. He was deciding not you. You were his protection and you failed. You should've been the one to die that day."

Rising to her feet, Ziva feels a stinging pain as the base of her father's gold ring hits her cheekbone. It is not the first time and she does not need to touch her face to know that there is blood.

"Murderous Whore"

"Papa," her voice is soft, embarrassed.

"Stop. Only my children call me papa and I have none." He spits on her before leaving the room as tears well up in Ziva's eyes.

She refuses to cry in front of him, chase him, or beg for forgiveness. She is a person with considerable pride but that is not why. She will not do these things because she knows it will only make him hate her more. Ziva, though, is not done, "I was raised to do what was right."

He turns around as he reaches the doorway, "Mossad officers do not have that luxury. You were trained to show loyalty to your country and its people."

In the instant that the door slams shut, Ziva feels lonelier than she ever has. She is not naïve but the reality of her father's response is more painful than she imagined and here she waits for Officer Bashan's appearance to learn her fate.

It is half an hour before the Bashan enters the room, "The guard will escort you out. You will be returning to Israel immediately for reassignment within the Middle East region."

Hearing news of her reassignment, Ziva understands that she is dead to her father. Officers assigned to this tour of duty have a life expectancy of less than a year. Being sent back to Israel and cutting all of her ties with NCIS is the punishment for her betrayal.

"When?"

"Tonight."

"You know that this is a mistake. He is being stubborn." Ziva's father yields an iron fist and she has rarely seen him change his mind but Bashan is different, more empathetic. He is her last chance.

"Are you too good to serve your people in the place where you are most needed?" Officer Bashan speaks knowing that her honor cannot withstand such an accusation and his question will put a stop to further arguments.

"Of course not."

"You knew this would be the outcome. Would you prefer to be charged with espionage or killed instead?"

"Yes." Ziva is defiant. In this moment, it's all she has left.

The older man laughs, "Stubborn like your mother." It is a rare lapse into familiarity with the young officer. He prefers to avoid such things as it makes it easier to maintain boundaries and carry out his duties but today he cannot resist. Watching her stand at attention with blood on her face, he too wishes things were different. "I never thought that you were foolish Officer David. Reckless perhaps but never foolish. Within the month, you would have received orders ending your NCIS assignment. You were losing sight of your mission, your loyalties."

"That's a lie. I am loyal." This, of all things, she believes of herself. Loyal to her country, loyal to her family, loyal to her values, loyal to her friends. As a spy, it's difficult to maintain values but she prides herself on her loyalty.

Glaring at Ziva with an accusatory look, "To who Officer David. The Israelis or the Americans?"

"To Israel and her allies."

Officer Bashan shuffles papers, "Even allies have limits to loyalties. You crossed the line and now you will live with the consequences."

"What about Special Agent Gibbs? Will he be protected?" Ziva refuses to lose sight of why she revealed the truth to her father. She is the only person able to stop Ari's actions from doing further damage. It is the last thing that she can take care of for NCIS and she is determined to see it through.

The older man hands her the handkerchief from his pocket, "It is being taken care of now."

"Toda." Ziva turns to leave the room.

Bashan speaks as she reaches the door, "Put the Americans out of your head. They will not help you to survive in the world you are returning to. That is what you must focus on now. There is no room for distraction."


	3. Chapter 3

**_NCIS Headquarters - 0830_**

McGee hangs up the phone looking confused, "Still no word from Ziva."

"That update brought to you by Hall Monitor McGeek." Tony sends the crumpled paper airborne as he speaks. With no new case to pursue he is making use of his favorite supplies but he too wonders where his partner is this morning. She prides herself on arriving to work early. Last night, Ziva called him but he missed it and his return call went straight to voicemail.

"It's been 90 minutes and, unlike you, Ziva's not usually late to work." McGee is a worrier unable to hide his concern as well as Tony and Ziva by deflecting serious situations with jokes.

"She's been late plenty. Just because she gets here before you doesn't mean she's on-time." Tony leans back, feet on his desk as he tries not to stare at the empty desk across from him.

"Excuse me." McGee is not the least bit amused by what Tony is implying.

"Look, she probably had a late night with Daddy and overslept. When your daddy's the Director of Israeli intelligence you are allowed to be late for work." Ziva didn't strike Tony as the type of person getting favors from her father but today he hopes that is exactly what's going on. He doesn't even want to consider the alternative.

Abby bounces in followed by Ducky, "Who's Ziva having sex with?"

At the mention of sex Tony sits straight up in his chair, "Who said anything about sex Abbs?"

"You did. Everybody knows 'late night with daddy' means sex." Abby is matter of fact in her statement, mildly annoyed that the others are acting as if they don't understand her.

Tony laughs and McGee looks at her strangely before clearing up the confusion, "She was meeting her father last night."

"Oh." Abby's irritation is quickly replaced by embarrassment as she plops herself down in Gibbs' chair.

Tony resumes his earlier position now watching Ducky inspect Ziva's vacant workspace, "What are the two of you doing up here anyway?"

"Director Shepherd asked Abby and I to come up here. Said she had an announcement. Have you called Ziva?" Noticing the absence of a few personal items from the desk, the older gentleman is curious about Ziva's absence as well.

McGee checks his cell phone for the second time in minutes, "Her phone goes straight to voicemail."

Abby's eyes are glued on Tony as he makes a beeline to McGee's desk.

"McGee, you didn't say that. You said Ziva wasn't answering." Tony's fired up. Not answering is one thing, straight to voicemail quite another. Ziva wouldn't break Gibbs' rule by turning her phone off or being careless enough to let it run out of juice. None of them would.

"I thought you weren't worried." McGee can't resist gloating as Tony loses his cool. Abby and Ducky smile at the one-upmanship of the two men.

"After you're done arguing, perhaps one of you could go check on her to make sure she's okay." Ducky can always be counted on to be the voice of reason. He is the wise, grandfather figure to the team.

Exiting the elevator Director Shepherd approaches the team, "That won't be necessary. Where's Gibbs?"

"Right here," Gibbs arrives right on cue as always. This morning he spent two hours in MTAC watching the latest surveillance tapes to avoid the questions that he is sure have been the topic of conversation between his McGee and DiNozzo for the past hour. He left last night aware that there were only two possible outcomes for Ziva. The empty desk when he arrived at 0630 indicated to him what outcome the Israelis had chosen. Even with all of his experience, it is a difficult reality to accept that she would not be returning, that the rest of his team would not be able to say goodbye to her. Not sharing her trust in Israel or Mossad, he hopes that she is alive, that she can take care of herself as well as she believes, that her final act as NCIS liaison officer does not end her life.

Director Shepherd smiles at Gibbs' ability to sneak up on her, "Now that we're all here. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Special Agent Gibbs is no longer a marked man."

"Congratulations Boss," DiNozzo smiling smugly is now standing next to Gibbs and his words are met with a slap to the back of the head which successfully diverts any other well wishers.

Gibbs remains serious, "How?"

Shepherd is surprised by Gibb's seriousness and scans his face for answers, "Not quite sure but reliable sources say that the hit has been cancelled. All a misunderstanding."

Gibbs' response clearly communicates his dissatisfaction with the information, "Since when do misunderstandings come with body counts?"

It did not go unnoticed by anyone that Gibbs was less than thrilled, even for him, at the news that he was no longer the focus of any assassination plot.

The elevator dings and everyone looks to see if it is Ziva. Everyone, that is, except Jethro Gibbs and Jenny Shepherd who stand staring each other down.

With caution in her voice Abby asks the dreaded question, "So what's the bad news?"

"Officer David is not late, she has new orders." Shepherd pauses awaiting the reactions of those around her. She was not looking forward to this conversation with this particular group knowing the strength of their commitment to one another and their stubbornness all too well.

"New orders?" McGee asks innocently. Relieved that Ziva is safe, this is not what he expected to hear.

Abby and Ducky exchange confused glances as they try to decipher the looks on the faces of those around them. Gibbs stands against his desk looking up towards MTAC.

Tony silently stares a hole in the floor as his mind goes into overdrive processing the idea of Ziva's transfer. He knew something was wrong when he saw her number last night. She knew that she wasn't coming back.

"Immediate recall to Israel. I received the orders at my home this morning." To say she was shocked upon receipt of the documents this morning is an understatement. She had been on the phone for the better part of the past three hours trying to find out how the reassignment happened and how she could reverse it. She did not want to lose Ziva anymore than the rest of the team.

"Home delivery? Who knew she was so important?" Tony rolls his eyes.

Jenny takes a deep breath. She predicted that DiNozzo and Gibbs would have the hardest time accepting the news, the least likely to tow the line. "I don't know. They're from the Director of Mossad himself. "

"Daddy dearest strikes again." Shaking his head Tony goes back to sit in his chair, his humor thinly veiling his disgust.

"Where did they send her?"

The stare accompanying Gibbs' question is so intense that Jen swears he's staring right through her. She looks around at the faces of the team then, raising an eyebrow, speaks feeling as if she will choke on a single word, "Iraq."

"I thought my dad was bad. I need to send him some cigars." Tony puts his hands over his face as he leans back once again.

A disgusted Gibbs throws his coffee cup in the trash with a splash then walks out towards the elevator.

"Can we find out why?"

Abby and Ducky share an empathetic look at McGee's comment. He is a man who relies on logic and they all know that this does not make any sense.

Shepherd looks at him and walks away as well.

Abby walks over and slaps McGee, "Did you miss the part where the orders were from the Director himself."

**_Abby's Lab 1000:_**

Gibbs comes down the elevator relieved to be alone. He left the morning meeting without a word confident he needed to hear no more of the political spin. He knows he'll have to sit down with Jenny soon enough. He doesn't need to do it twice.

Gibbs marches into the lab like a man on a mission, "Abby have you seen DiNozzo or McGee?"

"Hi Abbs. Isn't that horrible about Ziva? Yeah absolutely, Mossad is stupid."

"Abby," Gibbs is not amused, "McGee and DiNozzo."

Abby looks up thinking, "I think they said something about lunch."

"It's 10:00" Gibbs is suspicious of everything today. He wasn't thrilled to have Ziva join the team but he is even less thrilled to have her stolen away. It's his team and he does not appreciate it being manipulated for politics, revenge or any other reason.

Abby shrugs her shoulders knowing exactly what the two men are up to. As much as she is loyal to Gibbs, some things are better if he doesn't know about it. This is one of them.

Irritated Gibbs walks out rolling his eyes, "They'd better not be doing anything stupid"

As the elevator doors open, Gibbs is greeted by Director Jenny Shepherd.


	4. Chapter 4

_**NCIS Headquarters**_

Jen offers a friendly smile seeing the frustration on Gibbs' face. It mirrors her own. The idea of attaching a Mossad liaison to NCIS had done nothing to enhance her reputation. Choosing the Mossad Director's daughter to fill the position sealed her fate in the eyes of those who already viewed a female NCIS Director as a monumental mistake and started a round of heavy betting on her resignation date. Ziva's reassignment is equivalent to a failure no matter what the reason. Sudden recalls of foreign operatives seldom represent anything positive, more often, signaling impropriety of some kind. "You weren't surprised."

Gibbs considers retreating back to Abby's lab before reluctantly stepping into the elevator, "About what?"

"You have a great poker face Jethro but you were never very good at playing dumb." The two had spent too much time together to fool each other especially in these situations.

"I knew she was going to the embassy." Even if he wanted to tell Jenny what happened, Gibbs is determined not to break Ziva's confidence. He will take her secret to his grave and live knowing that he bears some responsibility for her reassignment.

Dissatisfied Jen reaches across Gibbs to flip the emergency switch, "Do you know why she was reassigned?"

Gibbs quickly looks at her then looks away, "No"

Eyes to the ceiling, Jenny's instincts scream at her that he knows more than he is saying. That's the way it always is with Gibbs. Having worked with Ziva for several years, she had a good idea of the depth of her loyalties and any secret shared by the two of them has the potential to stay hidden forever. "It is quite the coincidence that the Mossad hit is squashed the same day that Ziva is reassigned."

Gibbs continues to look straight ahead feeling that Jenny's gaze is now fixed on him, "I don't believe in coincidences."

"Which is exactly why I am not sure why you're not more interested . I'm going to ask again. Do you know why Ziva was reassigned?" This is not the man she is used to. The man she knows would be raising hell, yelling at her and anyone else he thought could get his officer back to NCIS. That is the reaction she expected. This reaction worries her.

Gibbs turns towards the redhead this time maintaining eye contact, "No. You?"

"Yes," she steps closer searching for the truth in his eyes.

Gibbs' face remains stoic. He is unconvinced that she knows but is trying to respect Ziva's wishes by letting it go, by letting her go without a fight.

"Officially, due to increasing tensions in the Middle East region, she along with several other Mossad agents were being reassigned."

Not as relieved as he should be that Jen does not know the truth, Gibbs looks at her in annoyed disbelief, "Officially that's crap. Unofficially?"

"Her personal ties to NCIS were viewed by Mossad as too close. They assessed that her relationships were a threat to Israeli security." As she speaks, she smiles at the contradiction. Mossad and personal ties. Ziva is not your typical Mossad operative. This is one of the reasons Jenny agreed to have her join Gibbs' team. She knew she would fit in and Gibbs would be able to see that she was more than a Mossad officer. Gibbs would see her loyalty because of how much he valued it. This morning it made her sad realizing the reason that she was such a good fit is one of the reasons Ziva is now in Israel.

Gibbs flips the switch restarting the elevator, "Isn't that what spies are supposed to do?"

Jen laughs, "I guess she did it too well. I told you she was good."

Staring at the numbers atop the elevator doors, Gibbs is worried regretting his decision to let Ziva go to the embassy without him, "For her sake, I hope you underestimated her."

_**Ziva's apartment**_

Pulling into the parking spot next to the red Mini, Tony is relieved to see her car still there. He can't help but smile thinking how he always feels a sense of relief each time he sees it parked. Of all the things he knows about Ziva, her driving is what scares him the most. Since hearing the news, he's been racking his brain to figure out how she could just walk away from the team without talking to anyone. How come she didn't answer her phone last night? She wasn't cold. She can appear cold but that isn't who she is. Cold people don't try to get people to like them, bring flowers, offer to give piano lessons and take you to dinner after a break up. Cold people don't try to boost your confidence or keep using English idioms that they get wrong every other time. He's certain that she is not the type of person who simply walks away.

As they leave the car, McGee studies Tony's face unnerved by his clenched jaw. The ride to Ziva's was quiet with Tony speaking only in response to McGee's questions. Gone was that man from this morning making fun of him for being concerned about Ziva being late. Here is a partner full of concern for his teammate. His mind wanders to Kate as they walk up the stairs. Ziva isn't dead but even McGee is starting to accept that she's probably not coming back.

Reaching Ziva's apartment, Tony opens the door with a key from his pocket as McGee eyes him up.

"You'll never know Probie." He and Ziva had become close in the short time he'd known her. It surprised him. He and Kate were close but it was different. Ziva got to him in a different way. When she made fun of him he wondered if she meant it. He cared if she meant it. There was something about her that was different, that was free. He looked forward to seeing her in the morning, to their battles throughout the day. He liked that there always seemed to be something new to know about her.

"Stop calling me Probie. Why are we here again?" Walking into the apartment, McGee raises an eyebrow. As usual he's beginning to regret following Tony's lead.

Tony scans the interior with a sense of urgency, "We need to find out what spy girl did to piss off her father."

"How do you know she did something? Maybe she was just reassigned." McGee looks around more casually, randomly picking up items in the kitchen. It is not the first time he's been to Ziva's but he is not nearly as comfortable or suspicious as Tony who is looking through her drawers.

"Think about it. Last night she sees the old man for the first time in two years and before morning she's on a plane back to Israel. She didn't ask to go. She would've said something if she wanted to go." Ziva is full of secrets but this is not about secrets and Tony knows it. He's no stranger to punishment from a powerful parent. He can smell it a mile away.

McGee is examining the collection on her bookshelf, "You don't know that. She is a Mossad spy? Do you really think you know her that well?"

Irritated Tony immediately closes the distance between he and McGee so that they are nose to nose, "Do you have any idea what the life expectancy of a female Mossad officer in Iraq is?"

"No." Realizing his error in judgment, McGee stands straight and swallows hard.

Tony's voice is low and serious, "It's slightly better than the goldfish you win at the carnival."

"Ziva can take care of herself. She's going to kick your six when she finds out you said that about her." McGee rolls his eyes sure that Tony is exaggerating and believing that he's mad Ziva didn't tell him she was leaving.

"If that gets her back here she can do whatever she wants with my six McGee." No matter how much Tony believes in Ziva's ability to take care of herself, some things even she can't control. He's always thought it was strange that they trusted her from the beginning. They had every reason not to yet no reason at all. She was a Mossad officer but she proved herself to be as much NCIS as any of them. Only Abby was suspicious of her. She accepted that Gibbs killed Ari in self defense and still wanted to be part of their NCIS team. He respected that the truth was important to her.

McGee isn't sure what to make of the situation. Tony never misses an opportunity to make a joke in every situation and he just passed on his own joke about Ziva and his six.

"She didn't take her back up weapons. She would have taken her back up weapons."

"Back up weapons?" McGee can't imagine how many more weapons Ziva could have. On a daily basis she had two guns and a knife. How many more does a person need? He shakes his head remembering who he's talking about.

"She has three that I know about and all three are here. Who knows what else she has hidden in this place?"

"This is disturbing. She has guns in her house like people have televisions." As much as he likes Ziva, she is one person McGee would not want to see in a dark alley with his worst enemy.

"I think she keeps one more in her bathroom," Tony heads into the direction of the bedroom, "Uh McGee."

Walking into the room, the younger agent is greeted by the sight of an overturned dresser, broken lamp and a bloodstained carpet, "This isn't good."

"You think?" Tony draws his gun before walking into the adjoining bathroom.

McGee checks the walk-in closet, "This doesn't make any sense. Ziva's not here."

"No but her knife is."

In the bathroom, McGee sees two men in the bathtub. One with Ziva's knife sticking out of his chest and underneath of him a man with a gunshot wound to the head. "Two corpses and no Ziva. Do you think she's okay?"

Satisfied that whoever stacked the bodies in the bathtub is long gone, Tony make a call, "I have no idea."

"Where are you DiNozzo?" Gibbs is yelling on the other end finally able to vent his anger at someone.

Tony holds the phone away from his ear wincing, "Ziva's apartment Boss."

"Why?" His voice lower with an edge, the senior agent knows exactly what he's doing and is proud of him for it. He would've liked to have done it himself just to make sure.

"Boss, really it's what not why. We found something." Tony is used to the Boss yelling at him but right now he wishes he'd stop and listen.

"We? Is McGee with you?"

"Yes"

"What you're about to tell me better be good DiNozzo or the two of you are going to be cleaning toilets. Make it quick DiNozzo." While appreciating their commitment to Ziva, Gibbs did not find it amusing that they left work without telling him. They still have a job to do and he will be the last person to let them forget it.

"Two dead bodies and no Ziva."

Gibbs is shocked, "Who killed them DiNozzo?"

"Looks like Ziva took out one. The other a bullet of unknown origin. Neither dead guy has any ID on him. There's blood from the bedroom to the bathroom but nowhere else."

"Drop your weapons." Tony and McGee look at each other as three men stand with guns pointed at them.

Hearing the other voices Gibbs is immediately concerned. He cannot afford to lose two more agents today, "What's going on DiNozzo?"

"Probie, why weren't you watching the door?" Tony drops his weapon then slaps McGee on the back of the head as he stands up.

McGee looks at him annoyed as he drops his weapon wondering how he could get his hands on one of Ziva's.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs' blood pressure is rising with each second he goes without a response from Tony.

Two of the men step forward as one yells, "Drop the phone!"

"Uh Boss I'm gonna have to call you back." Tony smiles closing his cell phone, "How you doing?"


	5. Chapter 5

**_Flashback: 0200 Enroute To Ziva's Apartment_**

_It had taken her two hours to convince them to drive her to her apartment so she could pack at least one bag. They confiscated her passport, NCIS badge, cell phone and both of her guns but left her with her knife after she gave Bashan an impassioned argument, a pleading look and a promise not to fight or run. Run. Where was she going to run to? There was nowhere to hide from her government. She couldn't work at NCIS on the run from Mossad. She had nowhere to go. No one could save her this time not even Gibbs. She had decided to accept her fate and follow the orders given to her. Years ago she'd agreed to put Israel before herself and by tonight she would be resuming life in Tel Aviv._

_The car is silent as she looks out the window into the darkness rubbing her fingers together. Her escort is an attaché that she knows but she is not sure if his silence is out of respect or disgust. She hates the idea of someone going through her personal belongings to pack them to be shipped to Tel Aviv. Hates the idea of leaving the United States. When she transferred to this assignment, she hoped that it would turn into something more permanent. Her decision to leave Israel had been an easy one, in many ways an opportunity to start over. After learning about Ari and her father, it became too difficult to maintain the carefully constructed walls that successfully contained her emotions for so long. In those last days with Ari, she was afraid of losing him. She wanted to see him because she had a feeling that something terrible was going to happen to the only sibling she had left. Part of why she wanted to be a control officer was to be assigned to him, to try to protect him. To protect her family. She knew she was losing him but like so many other things she'd learned to deny she denied that too. When Gibbs told her the weapon was called a "Kate" her mind knew the truth even though her soul didn't want to believe it. Talking to Ari that day broke her heart as she prepared herself for the possibility that she might have to take his life. She had to decide what to do, decide what she could live with. In the end, it had come down to doing what was right. Not what was right for anyone in particular or any country but what was the right thing to do. She couldn't live with herself if she let Ari kill Gibbs and make it look like he took his own life. She could not allow herself to do that. In the intelligence business that is a weakness and a sign that it's time for a change or that death is approaching because such weakness leads to hesitation. Weak agents do not survive no matter what government they work for. _

_She was expected to be strong, unwavering, decisive and willing to do whatever it took for the mission to succeed, the objective to be accomplished. Early in one's career, an operative had to accept this reality in order to avoid drowning in a sea of emotion and regret. A stronger officer would have killed Gibbs not Ari. She remembers the first time she seduced a target in the name of Mossad. Remembers how she cried in the shower when she went back to the hotel but only that first time. After that she quickly mastered how to use sex to her advantage, and, eliminated emotion from one more part of herself. She never liked it but accepted it as part of what it took to get the job done. A smile creeps on her face picturing Gibbs' reaction if she ever did that for NCIS. There's probably a rule for that too. He had different expectations for his team members. The job is the focus but he isn't ready to sacrifice his personnel to get it done if there are other options available. _

_She wonders what her teammates will think in the days to come and the faint smile disappears remembering that she no longer has a right to call them that. On her way to the embassy she had tried to call Tony. He was a good friend to her, they all were but he was the only one besides Gibbs she wanted to talk with at that moment. A condition of her reassignment was a termination of all personal connections to NCIS. She is more worried about them than what life will now be like for her. It's not that she's afraid to go back to Israel, to Mossad operations. The problem is that she is sad to be leaving her life here. She has always had competent colleagues but she hadn't had such good friends in a long time. She had come to enjoy the luxury of trusting what you can see and showing emotions without being viewed as weak. Life was different and she was happy. Happy to be able to tell people what she did. She could not tell most people that she worked for Mossad and those she did usually classified her as an assassin. Her father was right about her being a killer. It's what she did because it was her duty but in her time with NCIS she truly felt as if she left that life behind to become an investigator. She was intrigued by espionage and good at it but the life of a spy was lonely and full of lies. Proud to serve her country, she was not always proud of what she needed to do. She looked forward to seeing Israel and all that she missed there but not resuming her life there. _

_Mossad officers signed up for life there was no quitting, no way out. What had Bashan said? She was going to be pulled out of NCIS before her confession about Ari. She knew she was changing, getting soft and wondered if and when they might notice. Somehow she had not missed the moment they realized it. They questioned whether she was more loyal to NCIS than Israel and she could not give the proper answer that she was loyal to Israel and Mossad. As they approached her apartment she still could not answer what she would do if it came down to a choice between Mossad and NCIS. That choice used to be so clear but now it is blurry. Perhaps it is a good thing that she no longer is in a position of having to choose. _

**1130 Israeli Embassy**

"The hit on Gibbs is called off the same day that Ziva's reassigned and we find two dead bodies in her apartment."

McGee looks over at DiNozzo standing against the wall to his left. The two men who surprised them at Ziva's apartment were Israelis working out of the embassy. One of the men made a phone call then the two NCIS agents were escorted to their current location. Despite their best efforts along the way, they still have no idea what is going on and why there are two dead bodies in Ziva's bathtub.

"It doesn't make any sense." DiNozzo is beyond frustrated by the day's events. Even before discovering the bodies he was convinced that something bad had happened to Ziva. It is a surprising him how much he believes in her.

"Would you rather someone still be trying to kill Gibbs? How long are they going to keep us here?"

"I don't know Probie. Why don't you ask one of our hosts?" Tony nods his arm towards the door where there stood two very large guards.

The door opens and in walks a tall, older man. "Agent DiNozzo, Agent McGee I am Officer Michael Bashan."

Before Tony or McGee could respond Gibbs enters the room, "Boss."

"I'm here to collect my agents. All of them." His voice is loud and edgy. He was not the least bit amused by the time that he spent waiting for Tony to call back to say that he and McGee were okay. He was enroute to Ziva's apartment with Ducky following when he received the call from Officer Bashan that the two were being transported to the embassy.

"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. We finally meet. Your two agents were trespassing." Bashan inspects Gibbs with his eyes. Familiar with his dossier he is very much interested in the man whose life Ziva David chose over that of her beloved brother.

"They were visiting a friend." Gibbs surveys the room the glimmer of the gold NCIS badge catching his eye from the corner of the desk. Even with bad eyes he can recognize it a mile away.

Bashan walks past Gibbs until he is standing in front of Tony, "Friends. Is that why Agent DiNozzo called her 6 times between the hours of 11pm and 2am? That's a bit late to be checking on a friend."

Busted Tony looks sheepishly at McGee and Gibbs, "I was worried about her."

"Your concern was unnecessary. Mossad agents have no friends." The worry is clear on all of their faces and it is all Bashan needs to see to reinforce that recalling Ziva was for the best.

Gibbs maintains eye contact with Bashan as McGee and DiNozzo look at each other chilled by the coldness of his words. There were days when they thought the things Ziva said were insensitive but those were nothing compared to what they were now listening to.

"Americans are very sentimental people. Officer David is a trained operative for one of the world's most elite intelligence services. She is trained to develop relationships and use those relationships to ensure the security of Israel, to extract information, and to kill those who pose a threat to our country. People like Officer David have no friends. You are fooling yourselves if you believe otherwise."

Standing there Tony cannot believe that Bashan is talking about the partner he works with everyday. This is not the person he knows. She is not cold like this. There is not anyone who can convince him that she is this person that he just described. She can't be. He knows her better than that. Filled with anger, Tony feels a hand on his shoulder and Gibbs' glare silences the words about to come out of his mouth.

"Where is Officer David now?" Gibbs is no more convinced than Tony but he knows better than to pass up any opportunity to find out more.

Bashan turns walking to the other side of the desk sitting down, "Home."

"Uh, she's definitely not there. Only the two dead guys there." Tony smiles as McGee's naïve statement.

"Officer David has many enemies but she is safe. She will arrive in Israel this afternoon and stay there for a short time to prepare for her new assignment in Iraq." The older man is amused by their tenacity but not surprised. Ziva's reports made the extent of what they were willing to do quite clear. She fit in so well with this NCIS team because they were as stubborn as her.

"That's a death sentence." Gibbs voice is steady concealing the emotion driving him. It's not a matter of whether Ziva can take care of herself. They all know she can do that, she never let them forget it.

Tony can be silent no longer, "Her father hates her that much?"

"Agent DiNozzo, you are even more brazen than Officer David described. She did not do you justice." A scowl on his face, Bashan laughed inside at the similarities he sees. He was just like her no wonder she and this particular agent had become so close.

"You have no idea. You should see the two of them together."

Gibbs cracks a smile at McGee's statement resisting the urge to slap him in mixed company.

Bashan inhales looking down at his desk as he folds his hands in front of him, "It's where she's needed. I'm sure you can understand that Agent Gibbs. She is an exemplary officer and with the rapport she's developed with Americans she will have a great impact there."

"Wait for me outside." Gibbs doesn't even look at the two men to his left as he speaks. They have wasted enough time and he will not sacrifice what may be his last chance to find the truth.

For a moment, they hesitate not sure what to do before turning to exit the room. Bashan motions for the two guards to follow McGee and DiNozzo out of the office.

As the door closes, Gibbs demonstrates exactly why he is not a politician, "I'm not buying it. You and I both know that's not the reason for her new assignment."

"Some things are unforgivable even for a father."

Gibbs is stunned, "Even when that father has done worse things?"

"Life is full of double standards Agent Gibbs. Officer David knows that. She made a choice and now must deal with the consequences. Her position was temporary. Did you think she would be there forever?"

"I thought that she would be there until it no longer suited the needs of either of our governments."

"That is correct and she has come to the end of her usefulness with NCIS. You shouldn't feel guilty. We were going to reassign her anyway because of these." Bashan takes pictures out of his drawer and hands them to Gibbs.

"What's this?" Gibbs flips through the pictures of Tony at Ziva's apartment.

"That's what we'd like to know."

"I'm more interested in why are there two dead men in Ziva's apartment?" Not a man to fall victim to distraction the pictures are not what he wants to know about right now.

There's a knock at the door and a man enters handing Bashan a note then waits by the door. Bashan looks up from the note, "There are no longer any dead men at Officer David's apartment."

Gibbs squints at him shaking his head, "For your sake, I hope that's true about her safety."

"There is no longer a price on your head and there is nothing left for you to concern yourself with. Officer Alter will escort you and your men out of the building. Good day Special Agent Gibbs."


	6. Chapter 6

BACK AT NCIS HEADQUARTERS – 1230

_Director's Office_

Staring through her window at nothing in particular Jenny Shepard slowly regains her focus. As NCIS Director, the expectation is that she will anticipate what will happen next and her failure to do so is not sitting well with her. She spent the better part of her morning on the phone with all the wrong people at too many sister agencies and the Israeli government. In the end, her efforts produced nothing but a crystal clear message that she had neither the discretionary power nor the formal permission to delve any further into Ziva's sudden transfer or the deaths at the officer's apartment. A woman who relies heavily on her instincts Jenny loathes the times when her position requires her to ignore them. Inevitably those times involve decisions that are the most difficult to live with. Decisions that cannot be explained to anyone not possessing the elusive need to know status. Hell, half of them can't be explained to her and she has to accept that. They all do. It's what they signed up for. They pledge their loyalties and commit acts in the name of all too many things that they will never understand. That's what it means to work for the government. Being Director also means that she does not have the luxury of thinking of Ziva as a friend. Agents have that luxury not Directors. Directors are expected to maintain control, and, appear completely accepting of decisions so that others will be accepting of them as well. That's what leaders do. A smile plays over her lips thinking of what Ziva would tell her. She has no doubt the Israeli would be reminding her that this is a business without room for emotion and that they all have jobs to do. Her mind replays these conversations that they have had so many times until the opening of the door brings her back to reality. As she turns, the yelling face before her serves as an unwelcome reminder that today instinct will have to be ignored.

"Don't you even give a damn?" His voice is loud and harsh as his eyes glare wild with anger. At this moment, he does not care that she is his boss or the reaction to his words. He is only concerned with the truth.

"Excuse me." Looking behind Gibbs, Jen watches the door swing shut from the force with which he opened it and catches a glimpse of Cynthia's apologetic face. Nobody can rush the door like Gibbs.

Standing with less than two inches between them, Gibbs' eyes hone in on his former partner, "What is wrong with you? One day you owe her and the next she's expendable?"

"Agent Gibbs you are out of line." Her voice stern, Jenny maintains her calm exterior hiding the interest that Gibbs' reaction is sparking. This is what she had expected to see when the news of Ziva's reassignment broke. This loyalty, this emotion is familiar to her. Gibbs is not a man who needs to be convinced to have an emotional response, not a man who needs to simmer. His behavior confirms her earlier suspicion that Gibbs knew more than he let on about Ziva. His lack of reaction to the sudden reassignment was because he knew the reason, he knew it was coming.

Gibbs takes a breath staring his boss down, "Ziva saved your life Jen."

"Are you finished?" Used to this dance, Jenny has learned the best way to handle it is to wait him out like any good storm.

Gibbs steps away taking a seat on the couch. It was on their way back from the embassy that he learned Jen ordered Ducky back to NCIS before he reached Ziva's apartment to view the bodies. The Israelis were taking care of the crime scene and needed no help from NCIS. Deep down he knows that Jen would protect Ziva if she could. That she would not be satisfied with the situation but, right now, Director Shepard is the only person he can yell at and he does not care that she is not having a good day.

"It's not my call Gibbs. It's not what I would have chosen but it's done." Standing at the window with her arms crossed, Jenny knows that sometimes even a Director has to reveal when she doesn't agree with something.

"There were two dead guys in her apartment. One with Ziva's knife sticking out of him, one with a bullet in his head. Signs of a struggle. Ducky could have helped." He pauses, his voice calmer now as she searches for answer where he knows few exist, " She never made it to Israel."

Next to him, Jenny's instincts scream that her agent is correct but right now that doesn't matter, "NCIS has been ordered to discontinue all activities and inquiries related to Ziva David. Officially, there is no active crime scene to investigate."

Gibbs' eyes close at the formality of her voice and a condescending chuckle escapes his lips, "Since when are dead men not a crime scene?"

"Since Ziva was no longer a NCIS liaison we have no jurisdiction and the FBI has deferred to Mossad. Ziva was the target of an attack last night by terrorists attempting to kill her to send a message to her father. The men in the bathtub were her assailants. She is enro….

"Enroute to TelAviv. Tell me something I don't know Jen." Gibbs stares his blue eyes like daggers, "Who gave the order?"

"Take your pick, it's a long list. SecNav, SecDef and the Secretary of State and that's just our side."

Gibbs leans back amazed at the trouble Ziva manages to find. "Don't you think it's odd that a Mossad officer's routine reassignment is attracting so much attention?"

"Liaison officer is a high profile position."

Gibbs looks over at Jenny trying to find any clue on her face about what's really going on, "Not that high profile."

"It is when your father is the Mossad director." Jen pauses, failing to remember any time that she's seen Ziva receive any special favors from being the daughter of such a powerful man. "She doesn't need you to save her this time Jethro. Mossad is taking care of their own."

"And what is Mossad going to do?" Ziva called him for help last time. Mossad was looking out for her then too. Her loyalty to both countries may be beyond question but he knows that the level of trust she has in him and NCIS is not the same. She would've known that the bodies in her apartment would be discovered and cause suspicion. If she was simply reassigned, she would have contacted them to let them know that everything was okay.

"It's need to know." Jen answers immune to the powerful Gibbs stare.

"So what do you know?"

Jen pauses then sighs, "Not a damn thing. They didn't feel I needed to know."

"Something is wrong Jen." Gibbs stands up and begins to pace. He knows why Ziva left but not why people died in her apartment. He can live with one but the other he cannot let go. Letting things like that go has never been one of his strengths.

"Famous Gibbs gut?" The number of lives the gut of this man has saved can't be counted nor can the number of times it was right in spite of her own skepticism.

He stops pacing, the determination clear in his eyes, "Too many coincidences."

"When you leave this office you need to be okay with the fact that Ziva is no longer working for NCIS and that the incident in her apartment has been resolved. If you're not, nobody on the other side of that door will be. You have to be willing to let it go." She knows this is hard for him. His loyalty is one of the traits she admires most about him.

"We're not robots."

"No but we are professionals." Jen is all too familiar with Gibbs' work ethic. "Distracted agents make…"

"…dead agents. I'm the one who taught you that Jen." Gibbs' speech is deliberate and full of frustration. He hated when anyone reminded him of what he believed in because it usually meant that situations had spun out of control.

"You also know that your job is to protect your team. Ziva knows the game. Whatever happened with her father she knew what she was doing when she went to that embassy."

Gibbs squints wondering if Jenny knows the truth about Ari, "What?"

"You know what Ziva and her father talked about. It doesn't matter to me what it was but we can stop pretending you don't know what it was."

"I don't' know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do. That's why you were so accepting of her reassignment. You were prepared for it to happen."

Gibbs stays silent under the Director's knowing stare. He is not a man who breaks a promise even a silent one.

"It must have been one hell of an argument to convince her father to take the name of his son's killer off of the Mossad hit list."

"She's a very persuasive person." Gibbs stands up walking away.

"Ziva made a choice Jethro. A sacrifice. Don't tarnish that by getting into a pissing match with her government. We both know that's not what she wants."


End file.
